Observation of the Early Parliamentary Elections in Serbia (16 March 2014)
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http://assembly.coe.int Doc. 13516 22 May 2014 Observation of the early parliamentary elections in Serbia (16 March 2014) Election observation report Ad hoc Committee of the Bureau Rapporteur: Mr Pedro AGRAMUNT, Spain, Group of the European People's Party Contents Page 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 1 2. Legal framework ..................................................................................................................................... 2 3. Electoral administration, registration of the voters lists and candidates ................................................. 4 4. Election campaign and media environment ............................................................................................ 4 5. Election day ............................................................................................................................................ 6 6. Conclusions and recommendations........................................................................................................ 6 Appendix 1 – Composition of the ad hoc committee.................................................................................... 8 Appendix 2 – Programme of the election observation mission (14-17 March 2014) ................................... 9 Appendix 3 – Statement by the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) ................................. 11 1. Introduction 1. The Bureau of the Parliamentary Assembly, at its meeting on 27 January 2014, decided to observe the early parliamentary elections in Serbia, subject to the receipt of an invitation and confirmation of the date, and to constitute an ad hoc committee composed of 22 members and the two co-rapporteurs of the Committee on the Honouring of Obligations and Commitments by Member States of the Council of Europe (Monitoring Committee). The Bureau also authorised a pre-electoral mission. On 30 January, Mr Nebojša Stefanović, President of the National Assembly of Serbia, invited the Parliamentary Assembly to observe the early parliamentary elections. The Bureau of the Assembly, at its meeting on 31 January, approved the composition of the ad hoc committee (see Appendix 1) and appointed Mr Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD) as Chairperson. 2. Under the terms of Article 15 of the co-operation agreement signed between the Parliamentary Assembly and the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) on 4 October 2004, “[w]hen the Bureau of the Assembly decides to observe an election in a country in which electoral legislation was previously examined by the Venice Commission, one of the rapporteurs of the Venice Commission on this issue may be invited to join the Assembly's election observation mission as legal adviser”. In accordance with this provision, the Bureau of the Assembly invited an expert from the Venice Commission to join the ad hoc committee as an advisor. 3. The pre-electoral delegation visited Serbia from 18 to 21 February 2014 to evaluate the state of preparations and the political climate in the run-up to the early parliamentary elections on 16 March 2014. The multiparty delegation was composed of Mr Pedro Agramunt (Spain, EPP/CD), Head of the Delegation, Mr Igor Ivanovski, (“the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, SOC), Ms Ingebjørg Amanda Godskesen (Norway, EDG) and Mr Grigore Petrenco (Republic of Moldova, UEL). Unfortunately, one of the members of the pre- electoral delegation and the two co-rapporteurs responsible for monitoring of Serbia were unable to take part in the visit. F - 67075 Strasbourg Cedex | [email protected] | Tel: +33 3 88 41 2000 | Fax: +33 3 88 41 2733 Doc. 13516 Election observation report 4. During its visit to Serbia, the delegation met Prime Minister and Interior Minister Ivica Dačić, Nebojša Stefanović, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Serbian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Executive Director of the Council of the Republic’s Broadcasting Agency, the Deputy Head of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA), the members of the Republic Electoral Commission (REC) and the leaders and representatives of the main parliamentary caucuses. Meetings were also organised with representatives of the diplomatic corps, of international organisations and missions and of civil society and the media. 5. During its two-day visit to Serbia, the pre-electoral delegation found that the preparations for the elections had been smooth, while noting that these early parliamentary elections, called less than two years after the previous ones, might have an impact on major democratisation reforms launched by the authorities. The delegation welcomed the publication of the first report of the Anti-Corruption Agency on the financing of the last election campaign, and encouraged the Agency to continue its work to improve the transparency of parties’ campaign funding and their accountability. The pre-electoral delegation also called on political parties and entities to refrain from misusing administrative resources. 6. The ad hoc committee operated in the framework of an International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) alongside the observation mission of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and the limited election observation mission (LEOM) of the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights of the OSCE (OSCE/ODIHR). 7. The ad hoc committee met in Belgrade from 14 to 17 March 2014. In particular, it met leaders and representatives of lists of entities and political parties contesting the election, the head of the OSCE/ODIHR LEOM and his assistants, a member of the Republic Electoral Commission, a member of the Anti-Corruption Agency as well as representatives of civil society and the media. The programme of the ad hoc committee’s meetings is set out in Appendix 2. The ad hoc committee wishes to thank the staff of the Council of Europe office in Belgrade, together with the limited election observation mission (OSCE/ODIHR) for their co-operation and assistance. 8. On the day of the ballot, the ad hoc committee split into 10 teams which observed the elections in Belgrade and its outskirts, as well as in the following regions and municipalities: Novi Sad, Voevodina, Pancevo, Smederevo, Obrenovac, Niš and Vranje. In all, the members of the ad hoc committee visited more than 121 polling stations on the day of the ballot. 9. The ad hoc committee concluded that the early parliamentary elections held in Serbia on 16 March 2014 offered voters a genuine choice, were conducted on a sound legal basis, and fundamental freedoms were respected throughout the campaign. Fighting corruption was one of the main issues of the election campaign and a major concern for citizens. The media environment was pluralistic, but lacked journalistic independence and transparency in media ownership. The statement published after the elections is reproduced in Appendix 3. 2. Legal framework 10. The conduct of the parliamentary elections is primarily regulated by the Law on the Election of Representatives that has been amended twice since the elections in 2009 and 2011. The legal framework for parliamentary elections also includes the Law on Political Parties, the Law on Financing Political Activities (LFPA) and the Broadcasting Law, and is supplemented by the regulations, decisions, and rules of procedure of the REC. 11. In March 2011, the Venice Commission adopted two Opinions on the Draft Law on “altering and amending the Law on election of Members of Parliament” of the Republic of Serbia and on the revised draft law on financing political activities of the Republic of Serbia (LFPA).1 A new Law on Financing Political Activities was adopted on 14 June 2011; it entered into force on 22 June 2011 and was first tested following the “all in one” elections of 6 May 2012 (presidential, parliamentary, local and regional Vojvodina elections). 12. The National Assembly of Serbia is composed of 250 members elected for four years in a single national constituency. Seats are allocated proportionally among the lists having gained at least 5% of the votes cast. The 5% rule does not apply to the parties of the national minorities. The introduction of a quota system in 2011 has improved the access of women to parliament. However, the leaders of the political parties still have some latitude, admittedly limited, after the change in the electoral legislation in 2011, as to their lists of candidates, 1. Documents CDL-AD(2011)005 and CDL-AD(2011)006. 2 Doc. 13516 Election observation report in so far as elected candidates can place their mandates at the disposal of their party. Moreover, a constitutional provision still allows an elected MP to “irrevocably put his/her mandate at the disposal of the respective political party”.2 13. In the parliamentary elections of 6 May 2012, the results were as follows: Serbian Progressive Party (Coalition “Serbia on the move”) – 73 seats; Democratic Party (Coalition “Choice for a better life”) – 67 seats; Liberal Democrat Party – 19 seats; Party of the Unified Regions of Serbia – 16 seats; the coalition of Socialist Party of Serbia, Party of United Pensioners of Serbia and United Serbia – 44 seats; Democratic Party of Serbia – 21 seats; Hungarian Coalition of Vojvodina – 5 seats; five seats were obtained by small national minorities parties’ lists. 14. According to the 2011 census, there are 20 national and